Snippet #2748534

"I'm sure you are," she said. She didn’t look at Death. She dusted off her skirt. She took a few deep breaths. With a small click, she buried her face in her scroll again, tracing over the route on the map, then flipping through her messages. There was nothing much there, not even a message from her parents let alone a message from Ivy. She snapped it shut, then collapsed Thorn back into its cool, smooth cylinder. One hand pluckd at the hem of her skirt and the other rubbed the knuckle of her thumb. Her eyes darted over the quiet brush. The birds were coming back. “Let me know when you’re ready,” Violet said. “I am when you are.”